China's child tickets are moving from height to age
— here is what families actually pay in 2026.
Yes. In 2026 China moved child tickets from height to age. Government-run sights are free for children aged 6 or under (or 1.2 m and under), and many have raised that to 12-18 years. Trains are free under 6 and half-price from 6 to 13. Carry the child's passport - age, not height, is now the proof.
The old rule measured children by height
For years, the easiest way to tell if a child paid at a Chinese attraction was to look at the top of their head. Hundreds of parks, museums and theme parks set their free-ticket line at 1.2 metres, and a child who crossed it paid full price no matter how young they were. The rule hit taller children hardest: a healthy seven-year-old who is already 1.25 metres tall was charged like an adult, while a shorter ten-year-old walked in free. Parents called it 'height anxiety', and a cross-province trip meant re-checking a different line in every city.
Trains moved first. Since 1 January 2023, China's railway has sold child tickets by age, not height: under 6 travels free with a paying adult, and ages 6 to 13 pay a discounted fare. The 2026 change extends that logic to the rest of a family trip - the sights, the metros, the museums - and tells operators to put age first.
Railway age rules have applied nationwide since 2023, but attractions were never uniform. The 2026 opinion is national guidance, not a single law, so local uptake still varies - see the limits below.
What China changed in 2026
In March 2026, the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Council Working Committee on Women and Children issued a State Council-backed opinion on building a child-friendly society. Its clearest travel instruction: encourage attractions to raise their free-ticket height and age limits, and judge children 'by age first, height second'. It is guidance to local governments and operators, not a blanket free-pass, but the signal is unmistakable.
| The rule | Before 2026 | In 2026, in pilot cities |
|---|---|---|
| Government-run sights | Free for children up to 6 years or 1.2 m | Many now free to 12-18 years or 1.3 m |
| National 5A scenic areas | A baseline of 6 years or 1.2 m | More than 20 of 358 sites raised age to 12-18 |
| City metro systems | Often free up to 1.2 m in height | Beijing and 20-plus cities raised the line to 1.3 m |
Figures come from the NDRC's own March 2026 briefing: of 358 national 5A scenic areas, more than 20 have lifted the free age to 12-18 years and about 70 have lifted the free height to 1.3 m or more. Hunan sets its scenic areas free for children under 14. Across 116 child-friendly pilot cities, about 110 million children are covered.
Child train tickets: the age bands
Trains are the part of the system that already works cleanly by age. The bands below apply on high-speed and regular services, and a 2026 update made the discount deeper on high-speed trains.
| The child's age | The train ticket in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Under 6 years | Free with a paying adult, with no seat of their own |
| Aged 6 to 13 | A child discounted ticket at 50% of the adult fare |
| Aged 14 and over | A full-price adult ticket |
From 6 September 2026, high-speed child fares are 50% in second and first class, and 70% to 80% in sleeper and business class. From 11 June 2026, children can also buy railway tourist multi-ride tickets at 50% of the adult price - a 'discount on a discount' across 26 products and 242 stations, up to 9 travellers per booking, with at least one adult accompanying.
How to prove a child's age
Height is no longer the only proof, but you still need to prove age. Carry the child's passport, or their birth certificate as backup, and on trains declare a free child when you buy the adult ticket on the 12306 app before you travel - a free child who is not declared can be charged at the gate.
- Bring the child's passport; many sights now ask to see it rather than measuring.
- On trains, add the free child in the 12306 order before the trip, not at the station.
- Keep a paper or phone copy of the birth certificate as a fallback identity document.
- Tell staff the child's age in years; the height tape is now the second check, not the first.
What this means for your budget
For a family, the shift is real money. A child who once paid full price at a government sight because they were tall may now enter free, and on trains a 6-to-13-year-old pays half. But the saving is not uniform: privately run theme parks, cable cars and some city attractions still set their own rules, and a few keep a height line.
- Budget roughly half-price rail fares for ages 6 to 13, and expect free entry at most government parks and museums for under-6s.
- Check each paid attraction's current rule a few days before you go; the free age now ranges from 6 to 18 depending on the site.
- Carry cash or a linked card as backup, because some smaller ticket desks are cash-only.
- Treat any quoted price as a guide and verify it on the official site or the 12306 app before you pay.
How we have always done it: by age
We have run family camps and journeys in China for 16 years, and we priced by age from the start - long before the 2026 opinion made it national news. Our 11 camps across Guangdong and beyond take children aged 3 to 14, at about seven children to every trained leader, with English-speaking staff and climbing gear certified to CE-UIAA standards. Age, not height, has always decided who joins which route. We have now welcomed more than 8,000 families onto 40 routes, from a flat Shenzhen Bay birdwalk to the 867 m Qiniang summit on the Dapeng Peninsula.
Who still gets caught out
Honesty beats a brochure. The 2026 rules are guidance, not a single law, so uptake is uneven and a few operators lag. Know the edges before you rely on a free ticket.
- Private theme parks and cable cars may keep their own height or age lines, so always check the specific site.
- Provincial rules differ; what is free in Hunan or Beijing may still charge elsewhere.
- The policy covers tickets, not visas; children still need their own passport and, for most nationalities, their own visa or visa-free entry.
- If your child is close to a boundary, carry identity documents and expect the occasional manual check at busy gates.
Frequently asked questions
Are children free at Chinese tourist attractions?
At government-run sights, yes for children aged 6 or under, or 1.2 m and under, under the national baseline. In 2026 many pilot cities raised that: of 358 national 5A scenic areas, more than 20 now offer free entry to age 12-18, and about 70 lifted the free height to 1.3 m or more. Hunan frees children under 14 at its scenic areas. Private parks set their own rules, so check each site.
Do kids pay for high-speed trains in China?
Under 6 travels free with a paying adult but must be declared when the adult ticket is bought. Ages 6 to 13 pay a child discounted ticket, and from 6 September 2026 that is 50% of the adult fare in second and first class. Children aged 14 and over pay full price. From 11 June 2026, kids can also buy multi-ride tourist tickets at 50% of the adult price.
What ID proves a child's age for tickets?
The child's passport is the cleanest proof, with the birth certificate as a backup. On trains, declare the free child in the 12306 app order before you travel. At sights, staff increasingly ask to see the passport rather than measure height, so carry it even when you expect a free entry.
Does the new rule apply everywhere in China?
It is national guidance from the March 2026 child-friendly opinion, not one uniform law, so uptake varies by province and operator. Government parks and museums and the railways follow it; some private theme parks and cable cars keep their own height or age lines. Always confirm the specific attraction a few days before you go.
How do I actually get the free or discounted ticket?
At sights, show the child's passport at the ticket desk or scan the child's ID in the attraction's app where offered. On trains, book the adult ticket on 12306 and add the free child to the same order before the trip; buy the 6-to-13 child discounted ticket in the same booking. Keep cash or a linked card ready, as some desks are cash-only.
Sources
- China News Service - NDRC briefing on the 2026 Opinion on Building a Child-Friendly Society (free-ticket height and age limits, 358 5A sites, 116 pilot cities, 110 million children)
- China Railway - Railway Passenger Transport Regulations (child tickets by age since 1 January 2023: under 6 free, 6-13 discounted, 14+ full)
- China Daily - Railway tourist multi-ride tickets now open to children at 50%, 26 products and 242 stations (from 11 June 2026)
- China.org.cn - Children can buy railway tourist multi-ride tickets with a 50% discount (the 2026 policy)
- Qumogu - family camps and journeys in China: 11 camps and 40 routes for ages 3 to 14 (our programmes)
- Qumogu Field Notes - a flat Shenzhen Bay birdwalk and the 867 m Qiniang summit on the Dapeng Peninsula (our routes)
What this means for your family
China's 2026 child-ticket rules reward families who plan by age, not height: government sights are free for the under-6s and, in many pilot cities, for children up to 12-18, while trains are free under 6 and half-price from 6 to 13. Carry the child's passport, because age is now the proof, and declare a free train child in the 12306 order before you travel. The saving is real but uneven - private parks and some provinces still set their own lines, so verify each site a few days out. We have priced our own camps by age for 16 years, for more than 8,000 families across 40 routes, because a child's readiness has never been a matter of centimetres.
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